FREE e-Book Alert in May

In honor of my 40th birthday, enjoy a kindle copy of The Ellises Series Book #1 A Place to Call Home exclusively on Amazon during select days in the month of May!

Download FREE when you shop on any of the following dates:

• Cinco de Mayo - May 5, 2019
• Mother's Day Weekend - May 11 & 12, 2019
• Memorial Day - May 27, 2019
• MY 40th BIRTHDAY - May 29, 2019

Visit or bookmark: 

A Place to Call Home FREE Kindle download

A Glimpse into the Life of Best-Selling Author Kristin Billerbeck

Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing best-selling author Kristin Billerbeck. As an award-winning, bestselling author of over forty novels and novellas, including the beloved What a Girl Wants, she has appeared on The Today Show and in The New York Times and World Magazine. She’s also won the Carol Award, been nominated for a Christy as well as The Reader’s Choice Award. When she’s not writing, she's busy watching reality TV and trolling her kids on social media.

Best known for witty dialogues and relatable characters, Kristin's work can best summed-up as "faithful, froth-filled fiction" of the chick-lit variety. When we talked, she was on the go, but nevertheless happy to indulge me with a glimpse into her life.

N: Tell us about your latest book, The Theory of Happily Ever After. What made you decide to write it?

KB: My girlfriends and I were having a discussion about how smarter people were less happy. We live in Silicon Valley and though everyone has everything money can buy, no one seems happy. I had run into a happiness researcher at a funeral and that seemed like a sign. So I set out to find the answer to that question for myself and "The Theory of Happily Ever After" was born.

N: How long did it take to write?

KB: This book actually took a long time for me to write. Over a year, which is very slow for me. However, I had two boys going to college, one going in the Marines and my daughter home with me. So it was a time of transition. Normally, it takes me six month at the most. This one also had a lot of neuroscience and research in it.

N: It definitely was a fun book to read! What projects are you working on next?

KB: I'm working on two projects right now. One is a series about five sisters who inherit billions. That one is called "The Wentworth Heiresses." The other is a romantic women's fiction about two sisters, one who is beautiful, charismatic and mentally ill. The other is a caretaker and enjoys being behind the scenes. That one is called, "Love and Other Unlikely Events."

N: Do you have a favorite charity?

KB: I do. I love World Vision because you get to watch your sponsored child grow up and flourish before your eyes. Also, if there is ever a world emergency, World Vision is there and you can easily send money when led.

N: What do you enjoy most about connecting with readers?

KB: I just love readers. I mean, they are READERS and there just aren't enough of them left. My kids would rather watch a YouTube show than read a book. So I love just hearing from like-minded people who share a love of the written word.

N: How did you get your start as a writer?

KB: I was on prednisone for multiple sclerosis and I couldn't sleep at night. I had two young boys (two and one) and I had to find something to do at night that was quiet. And my eyes were moving, so I couldn't read. So I started writing because I could type without seeing.

N: What's your writing kryptonite?

KB: Anyone to talk to. If I'm not alone, I get caught up in conversation and don't get to what I'm supposed to be doing. Also, maybe Bravo TV.

N: Are there any characters from your books who are most like you in real life?

KB: I would deny it, but anyone who knows me would probably say Ashley Stockingdale.

N: What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?

KB: When I invested in Scrivener. It's a writing program and I still use it in the most basic way (it has all the bells and whistles) but I've never lost a word on it. The first time I lost something, I actually talked to the program creator (that's how long I've been using it) and sure enough, he got it back for me and it was my fault. LOL

N: Have you ever read anything that made you think differently about fiction?

KB: I love a novel that is so real it feels like it's non-fiction. "The Thorn Birds" is one of those books for me. I wish I'd written it. Also, "Crime and Punishment" truly changed me by showing me that we are all the prodigal son. We are all capable of anything given the right circumstances and that's why we need Christ.

N: If you had to pick a super power, what would be yours?

KB: Oh easy. I'd be invisible because I am nosey as all get out. If you're in Starbucks talking about your new start-up, be warned. I love to lift ideas for my books.

N: Do you Google yourself?

KB: NEVER. What other people say about me is none of my business. I focus on the work. If I read what people think, it will affect my truth.

N: Are you a glass half-empty or half-full kind of person?

KB: Depends on the day. Both, I'd say.

N: What has been the biggest challenge for you as a writer?

KB: My MS - which is ironic since it's also what started my path to writing. But it can be difficult when I'm having a bad brain day. I forget words some days, so now I write and put in "XXX" if I've forgotten a word and come back to it. Also, some days, my brain will write "hair" when it means "hare" and that is frustrating. And some days I can't see well and the words jump on the page (nystagmus) so that can make deadlines tough.

N: Are there any surprises you learned along the way in your career?

KB: I don't know if this was a surprise, but one thing I've learned is never to focus on what another writer is doing. You're on your own journey and you have to worry about your calling. If it's someone else's turn to be on the NYT bestseller list for two years running that has nothing do with you. When you hear from your readers, you will know why you were supposed to write your book.

N: What do you like to do in your spare time?

KB: I watch a lot of bad reality television, walk my dog, read and make sure I keep up all the important relationships in my life.

N: If you could live anywhere else in the world, where would it be?

KB: Orvieto, Italy or Charleston, South Carolina. I love history and I love the feel of both of these towns. I felt at home immediately in both places.

N: Do you have a favorite quote?

KB: The first line of "Pride and Prejudice." It's perfection.  The irony. The humor. Yet still we long for that romance...

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”    

For more information about Kristin Billerbeck, visit: 

http://www.KristinBillerbeck.com and https://www.facebook.com/KristinBillerbeckBooks/

40 Things to Do in my 40's

With my birth month approaching as I reach a new decade (or "level" as I prefer to think of it), I've got a lot on my mind. All the things I accomplished through now. All the things I haven't yet. And between the two, it made me think of what I can do to look ahead to set goals of fun experiences I can plan on doing as a decade-long "bucket list" so that hopefully by the time the next decade rolls around, I would have gotten to do some amazing things. It will be fun to look back on what I was able to finish!

Bucket List for My 40's:
1. Meet Sir Paul McCartney. Even better if I get a selfie with him!!! :-)
2. Go to my third Sir Paul McCartney concert. The first one I went to was ahhhh-mazing! (The second one needs a do-over, but I'd settle for a third chance instead! The music was great, but my mom ended up falling and spraining her ankle as we were leaving the venue.)
3. Attend a New England Patriots game at Gillette Stadium. (I've seen them play here in Indy, including for the Super Bowl, but never on their/my home turf!)
4. Visit Prince Edward Island. Makes sense since I'm a huge Anne of Green Gables fan.
5. Visit the Holy Land. A once-in-a-lifetime experience!
6. Write at least 10 books. (So far, I've written 1 novel, 1 novella, an e-book, 2 journals, and a short devotional.)
7. Stay at a B&B in Europe.
8. Go on a winery tour in Napa Valley.
9. Take a cruise. (anywhere!)
10. Trade-in my van for a Jeep. (I miss having one, now that we're not having to transport our daughter and her friends around to Girl Scouting events.) Through a series of unexpected events, this was achieved in June 2019!
11. Take a genealogy class.
12. Meet a relative for the first time. With our family all over the world, we have so many people I've yet to meet, and it would be fun to meet those I've only talked to via phone or email or chat, as well as those whom I've only known of.  I finally got to meet my cousin's wife (March) , as well as my other cousin's granddaughter (August) in 2019.
13. Complete my family tree. (I still have a few gaps to fill in, but have accomplished TONS so far.)
14. Visit Disney Land. (We've been to Disney World a couple of times as a family, and while that's on my radar to go to again also, it would be fun to try something new!)
15. Take my husband and daughter on a trip to my hometown/home region. Having them see all the places I used to go to as a child would be great fun. :-)
16. Take my husband and daughter to visit my family in India. (Not as easy as it sounds, since my husband is hesitant to want to go, even though our daughter definitely is on board for that idea!)
17. Travel through Europe. Again, since my family lives everywhere, it would be nice to hit up places where they live and see them, but also go to some other locales we've long wanted to explore. Italy. Greece. Spain. Ireland. Scotland. Belgium. Monaco.
18. Live in our dream home. Where we are now is not where we want to grow old, and we have it in our mind's eye what we want it to look like.
19. Get a dog. (Yes, we have a sweet and adorable cat, but we would also like a dog whenever we have the room to have them co-exist, which unfortunately isn't feasible at the moment.) In March 2021 our cat sadly passed away, but as of July 2021 we adopted a puppy!!!
20. See the Northern Lights.
21. Get braces. (Our daughter's smile is so lovely now that she's gone through the process; I never have them as a kid, but have needed them more and more the older I get.)
22. Have hot stone therapy/massage. I love massages already, but that would take things to another level of comfort for me! Courtesy of my parents, I enjoyed a lovely pedicure with hot stone massage and bonus chair massage in June 2019 :-)
23. Attend a ballet production of The Nutcracker.
24. Own a hardback copy of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. (Not what you typically see in stores, but an older edition that's a little $$$.)
25. Have books written by me shelved at a bookstore. (So far, my work is available online to order with most booksellers, and otherwise can be ordered on Amazon, and is in circulation at the Indianapolis Public Library.) Accomplished August 1, 2019 with The Gratitude Journal for a short time.
26. Write a guest blog on a noted personality's website. A fellow author I read, or any sort of celebrity.
27. Achieve at least 10 book reviews for books written by me. (Why? Because it's a fact that authors with 10 or more reviews gain the most visibility - and since I'm an indie author, any little thing helps when marketing is all up to me to do.) Achieved on October 26, 2019 with A Place to Call Home!
28. Have a website I don't have to maintain and a publicist. Other than blogging myself, I'd love to have someone else maintain my website, add in my books, and advertise for me! Those are some of my least favorite things to do.
29. Convert one of my wedding photos into a large canvas to hang in our house. Would you believe we only have a couple of photos in small frames sitting on a shelf and that's about it? While not a full canvas size, thanks to a generous and talented contact, I was gifted with an enlarged and framed wedding photo in 2022!
30. Own a conch shell. (My mom had one when I was little, and I was fascinated to hold it up to my ear to "hear" the ocean in it.) I'm a lucky girl - not only did my best friend gift me one from North Carolina in time for my 40th birthday, but my Mother-in-law did too, thanks to my husband's cousin who obtained one from the Bahamas.  I love both!
31. Have an anniversary band. I love the fact that I have two beautiful rings and that one of them was once my mother-in-law's. I also love my wedding ring, because it has my birthstone in it. BUT both rings have slowly started to weaken/flatten and could use a third ring to balance them out, plus it would be fun to have a third ring (nothing gaudy) that would have hubby's and our daughter's birthstones in it.
32. Do a radio interview. Achieved in 2023 on First Day with Terri Stacy on WIBC! I've also been interviewed for the Get Thrifty podcast in 2022, and have a short guest spot on an upcoming podcast later this month (May 2024). While I never added tv to my ambitions, that fell into my lap as well when I was interviewed with Terri Stacy on Great Day tv after the release of the Barbie movie in 2023.
33. Visit Australia.
34. Visit the San Diego Zoo. As a kid, I saw mention of zoos from around the world, and was intrigued by the SDZ and would love to check it out sometime.
35. Eat on the beach over an open fire at twilight. I don't care where, but that would cover the best of all things - fresh food, fresh air, ocean waves, fire, and my favorite time of day all rolled into one!
36. Own the full collection of Beatrix Potter books in hardback. It's something that reminds me of my childhood, with friends of ours who had a collection they let me read every time I visited, and I always vowed I would do the same but never even bought a single book yet! Got 'em all in 2019, thanks to my sweet Mother-in-law!
37. Visit all 50 states. I think at the time of writing this, I've made it to somewhere in the 20's, including some flyovers. But I'd like to actually VISIT somewhere in each state.
38. Attend a family reunion. There are a few parts of my family who host regular reunions on my dad's side and also my mother-in-law's, but we've never gone to any of them.
39. Plan or participate in a charity event or relief effort. (I've participated in a few toy drives, but that's about it.) I hosted my first Barbie Doll Dress-Up Event in 2020, started hosting a Barbie trunk for a church Trunk-or-Treat giving away candy in 2021 and dolls since 2023, and I give away dolls to the public during Ken's Day of Giving in honor of my dad.
40. Have a book launch party! You'd think I would have already done so by now, but alas, I've not had the time or the funds to put forth such a thing. It would be great fun to plan one out, though, and do book signings and giveaways, etc.

So there you have it. My list of 40 things. It wasn't as easy to put together as I thought it would be, but now that I've been revising it these past several years, I can't believe how much has been able to happen! There were a lot of things I had to think about in putting together the list, never figuring it would all just come together the way it has so far. I'm excited to see what happens these next 5 years!